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God's greatest gifts as I go…

deep

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – (Ephesians 3:19, NLT)

Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. – (Ephesians 3:19, ERV)

I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. – (Ephesians 3:19, CEB)

When we know and begin to understand the depth and breadth of Christ’s love for us, we become equipped to go and love likewise. The space within us that felt as if something were missing, becomes filled with the fullness of God. His light and life and love make us complete, empowering us to go forth and give as we have been given. So often, God makes His love tangible through the people whom He has placed in our lives, and in turn, utilizes the willing to do the same for others. May we each experience the love of Christ in a new way, so that we might gain a greater grasp on the magnitude of His magnificent love for us all and go forth to love likewise.

The greatest of loves,

That’s ever been known;

Comes to us from Christ,

Through sacrifice shown.

Our hearts cannot grasp,

How deep and how wide;

The love of the Lord,

A faithful life guide.

It is by His grace,

That He shall make known;

The fullness of life,

Through His great love shown.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your heart is for us to experience and come to know the fullness of Your love and the life and power that come from knowing You. Forgive us for neglecting to seek You when love feels far from us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would find the fullness of all that You have for us. Show us how to love others well, so they may experience and understand more of who You are and how You love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to know and understand more and more of the fullness of Your love so that we may go out and love like You. Amen.

Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. – (Ephesians 3:19, ERV)

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – (Ephesians 3:19, NLT)

If each of us could grasp but a glimpse of the greatness of God’s love, imagine what the world would become. Once a heart begins to hold even an iota of understanding of how deep and how wide the love of the Father is for us, we cannot help but be changed. The more we know love, the more we long to share what has been given. Our capacity to care for those around us multiplies, as we are made aware of how much the Lord cares for us. May we ever seek the Lord and readily receive His love, so that we may be made complete in the fullness of life and power that He has prepared for us to go forth and love as we are loved.

A love far greater,

Than any that’s known;

The love from the Lord,

As His heart is shown.

Lord, help us to seek,

The love that You give;

So we may be filled,

With fullness to live.

Your life and power,

Await those who seek;

To love and be loved,

Strength when we are weak.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love is far greater than any that we have ever known, and that but a glimpse of Your great love will change our hearts and lives forever. Thank You that as we come to know You and Your love for us, You fill us with life and power and make us complete in You. Forgive us for not seeking You and Your love. Teach us to trust You more, so that we will ever seek more of You. Help us to receive all that You have for us. Show us how to love well, all those around us as You fill us with Your goodness and grace. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we come to know and understand more and more of Your love in our lives, and go forth and love likewise. Amen.

Praise the Lord, for He has shown me the wonders of His unfailing love. – (Psalm 31:21a, NLT)

Here I sit this morning, in awe once again, at the wonder of the Lord’s unfailing love for me. He blesses in ways I do not deserve, and holds my heart in His hands. Where hope was growing dim, He has fanned a spark to flame. In spaces where worry was growing a bit weighty, God has provided beyond what I would have asked or imagined. More than that, as my heart heard my own voice speak the truth of all that He has done as I was sharing with a dear friend yesterday, joy and excitement began to rise up and flood my entire being, for all that lies ahead. The Lord has so much more. What we see now is but a glimpse of what is yet to come. Each time we take pause and look around, we become acutely aware of the wonders of His unfailing love, and find reason to give God praise. May we ever praise the Lord for the wonders of His unfailing love that He never ceases to show all who call on His Name.

Give praise to the Lord,

For wonders anew;

His unfailing love,

Is faithful and true.

Our God loves to show,

How deep and how wide;

Love for the seeking,

In Him, choose abide.

At times it is more,

Than my heart can hold;

The glory of God,

As His grace unfolds.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us the wonders of Your unfailing love. Thank You that You bless us and keep us and lavish us with Your love, not because we deserve it, but rather because we are Yours. Forgive us for not recognizing the wonders of Your love all around us, or not seeking You in our spaces of need. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would look to You in all things and at all times, knowing that above all, Your love never fails. Show us how to love with a love like Yours, so others may see the goodness and grace that comes from You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for showing us the wonders of Your unfailing love, and go forth and do likewise for those around us. Amen.

I was in very bad trouble. I called to the Lord for help, and He answered me. I was deep in the grave. I cried to You, and You heard my voice. – (Jonah 2:2, ERV)

He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and He answered me. I called to You from the land of the dead, and Lord, You heard me!” – (Jonah 2:2, NLT)

God is overwhelmingly patient and full of grace. Despite Jonah’s rebellion and refusal to go where God was calling him to go, He met Jonah in the middle of his mess and showed His mercy. Most of us have heard the story. Jonah is called to Ninevah and doesn’t want to go. Instead, he hops a boat the opposite direction for Tarshish to escape dealing with people whom he did not believe deserved God’s grace. Fast-forward to the middle of trip, and a horrendous storm stirs the seas and spins the ship so violently, that the crew believes that God has to be mad at someone onboard. They cast lots and determine that it is Jonah, and throw him overboard. As Jonah is sinking in the sea, he cries out to the Lord for help, and is swallowed by an enormous fish. There, in the middle of the ocean, in the belly of a whale (or comparably large fish), Jonah discovers the grace and mercy of God, and the wrong of running from God and the call He had on his life. Long story short, the great fish spit Jonah out, and he went and did what he had been called to do. God heard his cries and answered his pleas for help. The very same God who rescued Jonah from his own path of destruction, can do the same for you and me. When we call on the Lord and ask for His help, He hears and He answers us. May we ever seek our Savior, as He hears our cries and makes way where there seems to be no way.

In calm and in storms,

The Lord’s ever near;

If we call on Him,

Our cries, He will hear.

Ever He listens,

As we seek and pray;

He’s willing to make,

Way where seems no way.

So trust in the Lord,

Choose call on His Name;

He hears and He helps,

Our hope to proclaim.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are our hope and our help in times of trouble. Thank You that we can always come to You, no matter what we’ve done, and You will hear us and love us the same. Forgive us for the times that we run the opposite direction of that which You are calling. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would go where You lead, even when it does not make sense, or it is terrifying. Give us Your strength and power to do and be all that You ask of us. Show us how to love those around us fearlessly. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we call to You in times of trouble, and trust You to be our answer. Amen.

Because of this, the love of God is a reality among us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we could find true life through Him. – (1 John 4:9, VOICE)

God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. – (1 John 4:9, NLT)

One enormous, sacrificial act of God on our behalf, and heaven’s doors were flung wide open with invitation for all who choose to accept, believe and receive Jesus, enter in. Christ came to restore what had been broken by sin. His one sacrifice paid the price for all that ever has been, is or will be, wrong in the sight of God. In Him, we are covered and called clean, accepted and received as redeemed before the Righteous One. May we embrace the grace that God has given through Jesus, and move forward in mercy, so that others too, may come to know the wonder of God’s amazing love.

What great love is this,

image by Nicole Egerer

That sent His own Son;

So we might have life,

When our time is done?

Only God’s own grace,

Shows love that’s so deep;

Through Christ made the way,

For our souls to keep.

May we each embrace,

The hope we now hold;

And make His love known,

As our story’s told.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your one and only Son to make the way for us to find true life in You. Jesus, thank You for Your forgiveness and grace. Thank You that there is nothing that we have done that is not covered by Your sacrifice. Forgive us for not recognizing the magnitude of Your mercy and grace, or for refusing to receive it for ourselves. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would embrace the glorious gift that You have given, and then go forth and share of Your love. Show us how to love others well, so that they may see Your goodness through how we love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we receive all that You have given and go forth in love and grace so others may recognize the redemption You offer. Amen.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. – (Ephesians 3:18, NLT)

And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love – how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. – (Ephesians 3:18, ERV)

To begin to grasp the depth, breadth and vast expanse of the love that Christ has for us, is the very thing that changes everything. Though none of us can fully fathom the greatness of such love, the more we comprehend, the more we desire to know Him. Human love, though wonderful when given, is fallible and fractured – but Christ’s love is eternal and unerring; His love never fails. In our limited understanding, it is easy to confuse our own experiences of love gone awry, with that which God gives to us. Even on the brightest and best days, our most tender and true examples of love that we experience with those around us, barely scratch the surface in comparison to that which the Lord has for us. Yes, He uses people to make His love tangible to us, however, in Him, there is so much more. The older I get, the more in awe I become at the depth of His love that gives mercy and grace, and draws me closer still to discover more of Him. May we each invest in the pursuit of knowing more of Him, as He increases our understanding of how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is for each of us.

May we come to know,

More and more each day;

The greatness of love,

That God gives away.

How wide and how long,

How deep and how high;

May His grace reveal,

Truth none can deny.

The more that we know,

The more we can give;

As Christ has loved us,

So too, let us live.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your love never fails. Thank You that as we seek You, You begin to unpack for us, the width, the length, the height and the depth of Your great love for all. Forgive us for failing to listen or for mistaking Your love for that of what people pass on to us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would seek You first, and allow Your love to be what fills us, and Your voice to speak the truth of who we are in You. Show us how to love others with Your love – pure and lovely, with no expectations in return. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to grow in understanding of the vastness of Your great love. Amen.

A true friend loves regardless of the situation, and a real brother exists to share the tough times. – (Proverbs 17:17, VOICE)

Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. – (Proverbs 17:17, MSG)

Reading this verse this morning, my heart overflows with gratitude for the friends and family that God has gifted to me. I have friends that are family and family that are friends. Love and loyalty run deep, and I know that I can trust those who I am blessed to call friends and family. If there is a need, they draw near, rather than run. God calls us to be a community that loves through seasons of struggle and seasons of blessing. May we invest well in the people whom God has given, and be the friends and family that He has modeled for us to be.

No matter what comes,

I’m never alone;

The Lord’s on my side,

My heart is His home.

A blessing He gives,

His heart and His hands;

Made so tangible,

Through people who stand.

Friends and family,

Are gifts that He gives;

To walk through this life,

Courageously with.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of friends who are family and family that are friends. Thank You that You show us what it means to love in all things and at all times. Forgive us for the times that we have not been faithful friends, or have been too “busy” to step up where You needed us to go. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would always make people our priority, and listen well to Your leading. Show us how to love others as You first loved us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we learn to be loyal and loving friends and family to all those whom You place in our communities. Amen.

How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumbered the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me! – (Psalm 139:17-18, NLT)

It is easy to forget just how much truth there actually is in this verse. Sadly, if we are not paying attention, we miss knowing even a fraction of how present and aware God is for us. Yesterday afternoon I was blessed to road trip with a dear friend from my youth. We met in Youth With A Mission, and experienced some serious life-changing times together. As she and I drove, our conversation was deep and honest, and God used her to speak affirming words of truth that my heart needed to hear. I was reminded of how much He loves me, as we traveled together, as if no time had passed – despite life and years having marched on. Additionally, His presence has blessed me in our arrival. As I woke this morning, I was greeted with another conversation by another of the gals with whom I am blessed to gather, and I was in awe as I recognized that I had slept nearly double the hours that I had each night prior this week. He thinks about us and stays with us. It truly is overwhelming! May we remember to take pause and listen to the sweet whispers that He is speaking to our hearts, as the Lord is with us and for us; always.

How precious, O Lord,

Are Your thoughts of me;

As You love so well,

Your grace sets me free.

So many the times,

Beyond what I see;

Your presence remains,

Always, You’re with me.

More than I can count,

Like sands of the sea;

So great is Your love,

For all who seek Thee.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your precious thoughts for us are far more numerous than we can count or imagine. Thank You that You are with us when we are awake, as we sleep, and when we wake each morning. Thank You that there are reminders all around us. Thank You that You utilize the people that You have placed in our lives to be instruments to speak Your truth to our hearts. Forgive us for not slowing down to listen to Your heart for us, or for doubting, even for a second, the vastness and the depth of Your love for us. Teach us to trust You more and to listen to what You are speaking to our hearts. Show us how to love well, all those around us, just as You so relentlessly love us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we recognize how often and wonderful Your thoughts are of us, and how You are always with us. Amen.

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a river bank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. – (Jeremiah 17:7-8, NLT)

But those who trust in the Lord will be blessed. They know that the Lord will do what He says. They will be strong like trees planted near a stream that sends out roots to the water. They have nothing to fear when the days get hot. Their leaves are always green. They never worry, even in a year that has no rain. They always produce fruit. – (Jeremiah 17:7-8, ERV)

The Lord blesses those who trust in Him. His blessings come in the form of hope and confidence, even when it seems as if there is no reprieve from our circumstances. When we trust in the Lord, His word becomes deeply rooted and established within us, and provides refreshment as we are reminded of the promises that He has made, even when we are not yet seeing them come to pass. In that space of hope, we are able to do immeasurably more than we could hope or imagine to touch hearts and lives for His glory, simply through our faithful trust and devotion to the Lord, in spite of how things appear. May we choose to trust in the Lord with all that we are, knowing that He will do what He says. Let our unwavering faith, even through difficulties, demonstrate the goodness of God and produce fruit for all to see.

The blessings of God,

are granted to those;

who place all their trust,

in the Lord who knows.

Confidence and hope,

are gifts that He plants;

in those who trust Him,

in each circumstance.

Like trees with deep roots,

on a river’s edge;

no heat nor a drought,

will waiver heart’s pledge.

For the heart that trusts,

shall always bear fruit;

despite circumstance,

great faithful pursuit.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we place our trust in You, we are blessed with hope and confidence in You. Thank You that You grow our roots deep, establishing Your truth within us, so that when trials come, we can trust in the truth that we already know. Thank You that You use our faithfulness, even in times of trial, to touch the lives of those around us for Your glory. Forgive us for hiding our hurt, or becoming fearful in the fight, as we forget how often You use our trials to touch the lives of those around us. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would be willing to walk in transparency in the places where You call us to allow our story to be seen. Show us how to love and care well for those around us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You.
Be glorified O God, as we trust in You. Amen.

He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells within Him. – (Daniel 2:22, NIV)

God is the one who uncovers what lies deeply hidden; He knows what hides in darkness; light lives with Him! – (Daniel 2:22, CEB)

He knows hidden secret things that are hard to understand. Light lives within Him, so He knows what is in the dark and secret places. – (Daniel 2:22, ERV)

The truth is that God knows all things. There is nothing that is hidden from Him. Even that which is held in the deepest, darkest recesses of our hearts, are known by God. In spite of what we hide, He loves. When the things that are hidden are what we are meant to discover and deal with, He gently shines His light for us to see. If we are lost or confused and feel as if things are dark and hazy, the light of His truth begins to illuminate what is His will and His way in the midst of our darkness. When we seek Him, we find Him; for darkness no longer exists when light enters in. The two cannot coexist. Light destroys darkness. May we each allow the Lord to shine His light in our hearts and lives, so that darkness will disappear and His light may be reflected to others through us.

There’s nothing hidden,

that God cannot see;

for He is the light,

that lives within me.

Even those spaces,

of hurt and of pain;

the Lord, He’s ready,

to breathe life again.

We must choose seek Him,

for He’s gentle, kind;

He won’t force way in,

as we seek, we’ll find.

New understanding,

of deep mysteries;

are gifts that He gives,

so blind hearts might see.

God is the pure light,

He knows all there is;

He loves and He gives,

so all might choose live.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You reveal deep and hidden things, and that You know what lies in darkness because You are the Light. Forgive us for attempting to keep our hurts and our transgressions hidden from You, for You already know each one. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would be quick to confess our need for You and Your help, forgiveness and light, as we navigate the often darkness that surrounds us. Show us how to be Your light unto the world through loving others with the very same love that You give unto us. Let Your grace and peace be what we extend to all whom we meet, so that they can clearly see Your light through us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and Your light to illuminate the places that seem so dark – for darkness disappears when Your light enters in. Amen.